Improvement in propeller-wheels



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cOLIN T. FINLAYsON, Or ALBANnOnneON, AssIGNOR 'ro HinsELr lAND ALFRED c.

"LOUD, or sAN rnANcIsoO, CALIFORNIA.

Letters Patent No. 95,335, dated September 28,1869,

IMPROVEMENT 'IlN' PROPELLER-WHEELS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the name.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, COLrN T. FINLAYsoN, of Albany, in the county'of Lynn, and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Improvement iu.Pro-

pellcr-Wheels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and Operation of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making apart of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view.

Figure 2 is an end elevation.

Figure 3, a longitudinal vertical section.

Figure 4', a view,.iu perspective, of the ships bottom and wheel-guard.

Figure 5, a transverse vertical section.

4Figure 6, other perspective views of the ships bottom and guards.

Figure 7, a perspective view ofthe wheel.

This invention consists in placing in a ships bottom, or beneath the line of light weight, within a case or chamber, fitting as closely as possible short of actual contact, a propeller-wheel of the construction hereinafter described, the lower portionof the case projecting downward into t-hel water when thewheel runs vertically, and having, in its lower edge, and not elsewhere,

`one or more pertbrations at the sides, and an opening in the rim, to the end that the wheel may, 'by its first few revolutions, expel the air from the enclosing-case,

and form a vacuum therein, and that the water may thereupon rush in, through the perforations'vat each side, in powerful transverse currents, whichstrike the front concave lfaces of thebnokets, by their first impact accelerating the velocity of the wheel, and, meeting at the middle of the rim of the wheel', form liquid bars, as it-were, which are cutacross by the sharp rear edges ofthe buckets, and sections thereof lthrown out of the aforesaid opening in the lower part of the rim of the enclosing-case, by the concave rear faces ofthe buckets against the dense water outside, the reaction of which tends to still further increase the speed of the wheel.

The invention also consists in buckets projecting radially from the rim of the wheel, and having concave front faces, for the side current to strike against, as before described, and sharp cutting-edges coincident with thesides of the wheel,'and concave rear faces, to throw the water 'oars to the rear.

vIn the drawiugs- `A is the ship, and

B B, vertical cases, of any suitable material, placedlongitudinally of the ship, and at any point in her length where it shall seem best-perhaps Oftenest a little abaft'niidships, where paddle-wheels are usually placed,

The cases B project below the ships bottom,vabout to the under side of the keel, and have apertures b b at their lower sides, near the rim, andan opening, b,

in the lower face lof each, just in rear of the side ap- I ertures.

Inclined guards a a run from suitable pointsof the ships bottom backward, so as to cover the front sides .of the projecting parts of the cases B B, and let the water slip over them.-

The rear4 ends of the guard-s` a may terminate. at v such point-s in the rims of the cases as may seem desirable.

Within the cases B are the wheels G, one to each case, and as many wheels and cases as wanted, all being conveniently placed on one shaft.

The cases are tight, with the exception of the apertures'audopenings before mentioned, and tit the wheels pretty closely.

The shaft joining the wheels is connected with the engine, which latter sets the shaft in rotation when it .is desired to get the ship underway.

A few revolutions of the wheel expel the air-,from the case into the water, and-forma vacuum therein, to till which, water immediately rushes through the apertures b, at the sides of the case, it being prevented from entering at the opening in the rim by the passing of air out thereat, and the rotationof the wheel in a direction unfavorable to such entry. The side currents first strike the concave front facesof thebuckets, which latter are inclined along the face ofthe wheel, as shown in the drawings, so as to confront the .entering streams, and receive the impact of the latter', which immediately increases the speed ofthe wheels.

Whenever the currents enter-from both sides,'as they do when the wheels are vertically placed, the latter are provided with double concave buckets c c, each pairincliued from the sides of the wheel toward, and meeting at a common pointin the middle line of the rim.

lVhere the currents enter only at one side, as when thewheels are horizontally located, the buckets are single, and inclined across the whole face of the wheel.

' The side currents are arrested by meeting each other at the middle line ofthe rim of the wheel, or' the wall of the case, according as they enter at one or both sides, and form bars of water, lying transversely ofthe case, which bars are cut, by the sharp edges c of the buckets, into sections, that are thrown outof theopening b', in the rim of the case, by the concave rear faces c of the buckets. .Thedense water to the rear of the cases, reacting upon the ejected volumes, materially addsto the speed of thewheel.4

1t will be seen that this is notan invention of that sort iu which water in its ordinary condition is allowed to dow into the wheel at the sides thereof, and` be ejected by centrifugal force at the rim.. Tbeessencc of `my invention is the formation of .a vacuum within the case, and the consequent sudden and forcible in- 'i clined faces ofthe buckets,

jection of the side currents against the confrontinginthe water being, so to'speak, prepared for use, and wrought up into a condition differing from its normal state, by its withdrawal from the main mass inthe form of the which previous preparation increases very vhighly its eficiency when it comes to play upon the wheel.y

The side apertures are controlled by slides, to regulate the volume of supply.

The principle herein described is also a very advantageous manner, to force-pumps, by suitably reducing the size of the wheel and enclosing-case, providing gearing for the rotation of the former, and

, Vapplying a spout or ho'se to the opening inthe rim,

out of which water is thrown.

The case should be placed in the reservoir of water at a dept-h sufiicient to keep theside apertures always covered.

It is thought that a pump of this sort may be made to subserve a veryuseful purpose as a fire-extinguisher,

as it will throw or elevate water to great distances, ac cording to the speed at which the wheels may be run.

applicable, in

rear faces,i and side cutting-edge, pose set forth;

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set myhand and seal. I i

COLIN T. FINLAYSON. [L s] as4 and for the pur- Vitness'es Y Joint L. BOONE,

EUGENE FOLGER,

inclined across the periphery of the wheel, and provided with concave front and, 

